Hello dear readers!

Here is the latest chapter in Kevin's story. I'll be frank; I was torn whether I should skip those scenes altogether. As you can see, I ended up writing this chapter anyway as I thought it covered some important milestones in the trio's relationship. I also liked how it offered a contrast to their previous move. I hope you will like it!

Chapter 25

We were on the road for a long time. At least two full days. While I was first glued to the window, drinking in the view, I soon lost interest. Landscapes get old fast for any child stuck in a car.

What made our second move memorable is how it marked the first time Harry and Marvin took me out in public. This came as a surprise. They had been under so much stress over the past few days I didn't expect them to take such a risk, and yet they did. I suppose they wanted to test my reaction, see whether our year together had yielded any result. Harry and Marvin weren't fools; they didn't let me loose in a crowd, but took it one-step at the time. And so, when we first stopped at a gas station, Marvin came up with an innocent suggestion:

"You wanna help me pump gas?"

Did I! We had been on the road for hours and I was dying to leave the car! Plus, I was still at an age where helping Marvin with these tasks made me feel like a grown up.

"Yeah!

– Ok, but behave, or I'll get angry."

I knew that meant the return of the handcuffs and I made sure not to give him any reason to take those out again. Before letting me out of the car, Marvin handed me a baseball cap:

"Here, put this on."

I examined the New York Giants' logo on it.

"I like the Chicago Bears better.

– What! The Giants are way ahead of the Bears. And they won every match against them this season!

– It's the coach's fault; he's neglecting the defence!" I replied wanting to show off my knowledge in this matter.

Truth was, I didn't know much about football, I was merely repeating what I had heard sports commenters say. Judging from Marvin's amused expression, he had guessed as much.

"Well, next time, I'll get you a Chicago Bears cap. But today, you're a Giants' fan." he said, playfully showing the cap on my head and down over my eyes.

I pushed the cap off and jumped out of the car. Harry, who had parked next to us, probably noticed I was not handcuffed as I saw him give Marvin a look. He, however, didn't say anything. I could feel his eyes on me while I helped Marvin at the pump, but he wasn't frowning.

When Marvin and I were done, I meant to follow him in the station, but he quickly stopped me.

"You stay with Harry while I pay, kid. I'll be right back."

Harry and Marvin were willing to take me out in public, but drew the line at the station. Too many cameras. I didn't mind, Harry let me wash the van's windshield, and even smiled with indulgence when I splashed water all over myself.

Back on the road, Marvin signalled his approval by throwing a pack of licorice over his shoulder.

"Here, kid; got you these."

I caught the bag of candy with ease and was quick to tear it open to share some with Marvin. Who cares if I didn't go in the store, I still had treats!

The real test came later that evening at dinner. We hadn't had a proper meal since breakfast, and after our eventful day, we were all hungry. We had to stop somewhere. Although we had seen many restaurants along the road, Harry and Marvin settled for a roadside diner with a window counter. It didn't have a proper dining room, but picnic tables outside. As I said, Harry and Marvin took things slow.

We got there after the dinner rush, I suspect on purpose. There were fewer customers, most of whom were there for ice cream. Behind the picnic tables was a playground with some old swings, seesaws and jungle gym where children about my age were playing. It had been ages since I had last seen children and I couldn't stop starring. A couple of kids were on the swings, while others were playing tag. I loved playing tag! I had almost forgotten how fun it was to laugh and play with friends.

After watching them for a few minutes, I couldn't take it anymore. While Harry was busy ordering our food, I tugged on Marvin's shirt, pointing to the playground:

"Can I go play?"

Asking Marvin to let me leave his side was a leap, but I had to try. I also knew to ask Marvin while Harry was out of earshot. If one of them would falter, it would be Marvin. It was always Marvin. Just as with the handcuffs incident earlier, I saw him hesitate. He surveyed the playground, weighing the dangers of letting me associate with children. I don't think Harry and him had planned to grant me that much freedom just yet. Luckily, the kids looked harmless enough to encourage Marvin to be generous:

"Ok, but stay where I can see you. And I mean it!"

Something any responsible parent would've said. Had anyone overheard him, they never would've guessed Marvin was anything but a concerned father. It didn't stop me from being delighted at getting my way. I sprinted to the playground before Marvin could change his mind.

My excitement didn't last; upon reaching the playground, it turned to hesitation. When you're a kid, making friends comes easy, or at least it should. As I stood there, watching the game from the side, I remember wanting to join those kids, but not knowing how.

I had never been shy and used to have plenty of friends, but I was suddenly intimidated by those light-hearted and laughing children. How should I approach them? I felt clumsy and out of touch, as if there was an invisible barrier between us, which left me feeling self-conscious and frustrated. Why couldn't I say, "hello, can I play too?" and dive in the game without further introduction like I once would have? They were kids, just like me! Only we weren't the same. Or, rather, I wasn't the same. There was a world of differences between us. I wasn't sure how to handle it.

I ended up climbing all the way up the jungle gym, where I had full view of the playground, but didn't mingle. The kids kept playing around me. Some of them did look up my way, but they were too caught up in their game to speak with me. How many times did I talk myself into speaking up, only to remain mute? Too many times. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to break the ice. Over the years, there were many missed opportunities I came to regret; denying myself a game of tag still hurts.

When our order was ready, Harry called me and I was relieved to have a reason to retreat to the tables. I'm not sure Harry or Marvin noticed my failed attempt at play. They were most likely relieved I had stayed on my own.

Their experience had been a success.

As promised earlier that day, Marvin offered me ice cream for dessert, a giant triple scoop waffle ice cream cone. I noted, perhaps trying to console myself that none of the other kids had one as big as mine. For once, ice cream failed to work its magic. My heart ached with an ache I didn't want to acknowledge. An ache that could not be filled with ice cream.

The memories of those kids stayed with me long after we left the diner.

I was much less talkative upon resuming our journey. By then, the sun had set, and Marvin didn't seem to find my silence odd; he must've assumed I was tired. And I was tired. I dozed on and off against my pillow, somewhat aware of the music on the radio.

I was in the middle of a pleasant dream, more feelings than images, when Marvin woke me up:

"Hey, kid; Wakey-wakey!

– Are we there yet?" I groggily answered.

I opened my eyes to discover what would be the highlight of our trip. We were no longer on the highway, but on a brightly lit road bordering a river. We seemed to be in the heart of a city, though I couldn't tell which. This wasn't Chicago or Detroit. There were no towering buildings, but both sides of the river were busting with activities. There were lights everywhere and, although it was past midnight, there were people on the streets. Patio bars were full and as we drove by, I could hear upbeat music blaring from within.

"Marv, where are we?

– Take a guess!"

I racked my brain, but couldn't figure it out. I didn't recall coming through this city on our initial move.

"I don't know, tell me!

– How about a clue?" He replied, not pointing the city, but the river.

I followed his gaze and gasped in surprise. Waterfalls were looming on the horizon. Huge waterfalls! As we got closer, I saw how colourful lights illuminated not one, but three sets of falls in the night. Now wide awake, I rolled down the window to have a better view. I had never seen anything like it; even from a distance, I could see clouds of mist rise from the swirling waters. It was breathtaking. I had never been here before, but I had a good idea where we were.

"Welcome to Niagara Falls, kid! You like it?

– Is this our new home?" I replied in awe.

This would be a definite step up from the small town we had left. I could get used to this!

"Sorry, kid; we're just passing through." Marvin informed me. "We still have a long way to go. We'll spend the night and be on our way tomorrow."

I was disappointed, but not for long.

"Can we stop? Can we go see the falls? Please!" I begged.

After a day driving, I won't deny that Marvin looked tired, but my enthusiasm won him over.

"Our motel isn't far. We'll take a walk and go see the waterfalls before bed. How about that?"

I cheered at the news. The last thing I had expected was to stop at a landmark. First the restaurant, now the waterfalls; this trip wasn't so bad. I might even say it had been fun, were it not for the souvenir of those children. As we got closer, the waterfalls soon eclipsed that memory, or at least for a while anyway.

I was too young and distracted by this outing to question why neither Harry not Marvin checked in at the motel upon our arrival. The fact we didn't have to convince Harry to go for a walk also leads me to believe Marvin and he had planned it. I didn't care. All I wanted was to get as close as possible to those waterfalls.

We walked along the river, stopping along the way to look at the falls from various points. At this late hour, the sidewalks were not crawling with tourists; there were mostly couples holding hands and teenagers laughing in the night. There were, however, no children. Upon reflection, I wonder how wise it was for Harry and Marvin to take me out on such a conspicuous stroll. I like to think they really were trying to please me.

Perhaps to make up for their foul mood over the past days, Harry and Marvin didn't rush me as I admired the sights. We walked to an observation platform around the edge of the horseshoe fall where they let me throw all the rocks I wanted in the river. I also amused myself by dropping leaves and flowers in the water, watching them race over the edge. I was having such a good time I forgot to scowl at Marvin when he snapped a few pictures.

Harry is the one who drew my attention to the other side of the river.

"Hey, kid; you know what that is, over there?"

I had assumed it was an extension of our current city.

"Niagara Falls?

– The good ol' U.S. of A." Marv revealed, leaning on the railing at my side. "Feels good to be back, no?"

I looked at the other shore with renewed interest. I had never seen the border before. How did anyone know where one country ended and the other one began? I climbed the railing for a better view.

"Careful!" Harry grabbed the back of my shirt. "That's just what we need, you going over the falls and drowning." he grumbled.

He didn't pull me off the railing, but kept a firm hand on my shirt, to be safe. It was a minor detail, one I hardly noticed at the time, but that I have often revised. Not so long ago, Harry would not have cared what happened to me and I would've been terrified of him pushing me in the river. Not anymore. I trusted Harry to keep me safe. Our year abroad had not been wasted on any of us.

When the novelty of the waterfalls faded, Harry suggested sitting at one of the patio restaurants overlooking the river. I was glad we wouldn't return to the motel just yet. I was tired, but I was enjoying myself too much to leave.

"I'll get us some beer." Marvin offered. "How about you, kid; you want a slushie or a milkshake?"

I had already had my fill of ice cream for the day, and Harry thought so too:

"No ice cream; the kid's had enough junk for one day.

– I ate an apple in the car." I informed him, but Harry ignored me.

"Get him something healthy, like milk."

Milk? How boring! Marvin shared my opinion as he rolled his eyes. He knew me well enough not bring me back a glass of milk, but he didn't dismiss Harry's advice either. Marvin returned with a tall glass of chocolate milk, which he set in front of me. I beamed at him. It was hard to refuse such compromise.

"Thanks, Marv!

– Yeah, thanks Marv; now the kid will be up all night!" Harry complained, but it didn't sound as if he meant it.

"Cut him some slack, Harry. We had a long day. The kid'll be asleep in no time."

That should've been my warning not to drink the chocolate milk, but I didn't give it a second thought. This stop at Niagara Falls had turned our journey on the run into a holiday. I was having a great time and drank the chocolate milk, perfectly content.

For the first time since that morning, Harry and Marvin relaxed. They had yet again escaped disaster. They didn't talk travel plans or even work. They talked sports, speculating over the next football season, or food, raving over meatball sandwiches from their youth. They avoided mentioning Mylène or the life we had left behind.

I was happy to be there, happy we were returning to the States, and yes, even happy to be with Harry and Marvin. Surrounded by patrons on that restaurant patio, screaming for help didn't cross my mind. Not once. It was hard to see Harry and Marvin as the enemy. They didn't feel like enemies anymore.

Our move had gone so well, I didn't realize there was one risk they weren't willing to take, and that was crossing the border while I was awake. I should've remembered what had happened the last time we had crossed it, but I didn't.

I had forgotten how tricky Harry and Marvin could be.

And why not? Harry and Marvin made it easy to forget. They had let me play on a playground with kids, hadn't they? They had taken me sightseeing, hadn't they? Weren't we, at that very moment, having a good time, sitting together on a patio? I didn't see why they would drug me. So I drank that glass of chocolate milk to the last drop.

It didn't take long for whatever Marvin had slipped in there to take effect.

"We better get going; somebody is about to fall asleep in his milk." Harry, who had been watching me, remarked.

"I am not…"

But I was already nodding off. As we walked back to the motel, my limbs felt heavier with every step. It worried me. I thought I might be sick, or something.

"I feel weird…

– Long day, kid; you're just tired." Marvin reassured me.

Soon, he had to pick me up and carry me the rest of the way. I was outraged at being treated like a baby, but didn't have the strength to protest. I was fast asleep before we reached the motel.

The next thing I knew, I woke up surrendered by darkness. Thick and silent darkness. Where was my nightlight? I needed it! Fear quickly snapped me awake. Fighting my drowsiness, I felt around me and realized I wasn't in my bed, or my bedroom. I vaguely remembered our move. Had we arrived at our new house? Was this my new room? Why was it so dark? I suddenly had a vision of being locked in another storage room. It wouldn't have made sense for Harry and Marvin to lock me up in a storage room at this point in our relationship, but my confused mind didn't reason. It was dark. I was scared and I wanted out.

I tried to rise, but I found myself tangled in blankets. I was trapped! I trashed and rolled until I crashed to the floor in a strangled cry.

"Harry!"

I had called out to Harry as a reflex. Not Marvin, Harry. I was too frightened to question this choice. All I knew was that Harry was the one I needed, the one who would chase the darkness away. And Harry did answer my call.

"Goddammit, kid; what are you doing?"

The familiar curse followed by the lights turning on quieted my fears. I saw we were in a typical motel room, not a storage room. Marvin, who occupied the bed closest to mine, sat up, rubbing his eyes, while Harry had thrown off his blankets to walk up to me.

As I took in my surroundings, I saw that I had fallen off a sofa bed, dragging half the blankets and my stuffed elephant with me.

"Jeez, kid; how'd you manage to fall off the bed?" Marvin asked, getting up as well.

"You left me in the dark." I accused, my voice quaking with fear and anger.

"We didn't leave you in the dark. We're right here with you, aren't we?" Harry answered, helping me to my feet.

"I told you the kid's scared of the dark." Marvin snapped at him.

Harry chose to ignore the comment. He rearranged my bed, lecturing:

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Kevin. Marv and me, we're both here with you. There's nothing in the dark."

That wasn't the point. I wasn't afraid of monsters. I hated the darkness itself. It was suffocating. I looked up to Marvin, pleading:

"Can we leave the lights on?

– Kid… you're getting too old for this. You can't keep sleeping with the lights on." Harry objected.

I was nine years old, much too old to be sleeping with a nightlight anymore, or a stuffed toy for that matter. I should've been embarrassed, but my fear trumped my pride. I didn't want to sleep in the dark. When I didn't answer, Harry sighed.

"If we leave the lights on in the bathroom, will you sleep?"

It was an acceptable solution until I had my nightlight back. I climbed back on the sofa bed with my elephant and Marvin helped me untangle my blankets. Harry showed his good will by turning on the light in the bathroom himself. He even brought me a glass of water without me needing to ask for one.

I suspect the drug was still running through my system as I soon fell asleep. I didn't wake until the next morning when Harry and Marvin began to stir. Harry was always quick to rise and was the first in the shower. As I sat in my bed, yawning, my attention was drawn to Marvin who was unwrapping something up on the arm of the door closer.

"What are you doing?" I asked, intrigued.

"Oh, just taking off my belt." Marvin replied as if there was nothing peculiar about his action.

I looked at the doorframe. I didn't understand why anyone would hang anything up there.

"Why did you put it there?"

Marvin finished unwrapping his belt and I saw him play with it a moment before smiling weakly.

"For… security.

– Security?

– Yeah. See when I wrap my belt around the arms of the door closer, it blocks the mechanism and intruders can't open the door while we sleep."

I was impressed by Marvin's resourcefulness. I didn't see right away that if intruders couldn't come in, it also meant I couldn't get out. Marvin was tall and it was easy for him to reach the arm; it would've been a lot harder for me to unwrap the belt without climbing on something, and that was assuming I would've noticed it in the dark.

This security trick wasn't all sinister. I can now appreciate how it had also been an alternative to handcuffing me while Harry and Marvin slept. Definitely an improvement over our previous travel plans. At the time, these reflections were too advanced for me. Learning new security tricks, however, was right up my alley. As I had learned, you could never know too many security measures!

"Cool! Do you know other tricks?"

A usual when I showed interest in anything he did, Marvin responded with equal eagerness.

"Sure! All you need is the right tool, like… A coat hanger! Coat hangers are the best! All you have to do is ply the wire and they you can hook-"

But then Marvin stopped talking. I turned around and saw that Harry had come out of the bathroom and was glaring at him.

"Yes Marv; please share all your tricks with Dennis the menace."

I didn't like this association. The accident-prone Dennis the menace annoyed me. His troubles arose from setting in motion a series of actions he had not foreseen. That didn't make him clever, that made him a scatterbrain, whereas everything I did, I did with purpose. I mean, Dennis the menace might've carried a slingshot in his back pocket, but I don't think he ever used it. How lame!

"I'm way smarter than Dennis the menace!" I proclaimed.

"Yeah, we know, kid."

Although Harry was agreeing with me, it sure didn't sound like a compliment! Under the accusing gaze of his partner, Marvin looked like a child caught cheating.

"Sorry. I guess I got carried away."

Harry shook his head and returned to packing his bag. Marvin gathered his clothes to go in the shower, but I wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily.

"What about the coat hanger?" I pressed, wanted to hear the end of that trick. "What can you do with it?"

Harry lifted his head and smirked at Marvin who shifted nervously under my gaze, searching for an answer.

"You wanna show the kid how to unclog a toilet with one?" Harry suggested.

Although a coat hanger can be used that way, I wasn't interested in toilets and waited for Marvin's answer.

"You can… dip it in soapy water to blow giant bubbles!" he told me, obviously proud of his finding.

I saw through his playful diversion and frown with disgust. That's not what Marvin had meant to teach me. Seeing my reaction, he tried to make up for it by adding:

"Tell you what, when we get to our new house, you'll help me set up other security tricks, ok?"

Sensing that this was the best I would get out of Marvin, I didn't push him for more details. He would one day show me all the ways to use a coat hanger, but I would have to wait a few years.

We didn't tally at the motel. After a quick shower, Harry and Marvin were ready to hit the road again. I was about to grab my bag and follow them out the door when I was faced with an unexpected dilemma.

"Wait! I can't go outside!"

Harry and Marvin both stop to look at me in surprise.

"No? Why not?

– My elephant." I explained. "It doesn't fit in my bag.

– So? You got two hands, don't you?" asked Harry not unerstanding what I meant.

"I can't go out with a stuffed toy; there could be girls out there!"

Harry's frown was replaced by a chuckle while Marvin played along.

"Oh! We wouldn't want that! You know what? I still have some space in my bag. Let's hide your little friend in there till tonight, ok?"

Crisis averted! And good thing too as there were a pair of girls in the parking lot waiting by their parents' side as they read some tourist flyers. One of them, a pretty, caramel-skinned brunette was holding a doll, but that didn't mean anything. Girls could get away with stuff like that.

I walked past the girls, pretending not to look at them, but Marvin teased me as soon as we reached the car.

"You like the little brunette, don't you? She's cute! Are brunettes your thing?

– Girls are dumb!" I declared crossly, which cracked Marvin up.

He waited for Harry to get in the van and started up the car.

"Are you hungry, kid? Waffles sound good?

– Yeah! With eggs and sausages!

– Brunch it is! Keep your eyes open, there must be a place around."

A real breakfast, not a box of stale muffins or donuts sounded the perfect way to start the day. It also sounded like another restaurant. Maybe an indoor one this time. This idea was a pleasant one, the sort of outing ordinary family partook in over holidays. Harry and Marvin no longer treating as a prisoner on this journey made me believe in the family they were trying to build.

While Marvin searched the area for a restaurant, I looked to the river with anticipation. I was hoping for one last look at the waterfalls. To my surprise, I realized I now had a very different view of the landmark. The falls had switched sides overnight. That was weird! How could I had fallen asleep on one side of the river and woken up on the other?

I was a smart kid. I didn't take me long to figure it out. I took a closer look at the main streets and was greeted with American flags every few stores. As I slowly processed the meaning of all these clues, my confusion turning to dismay. Harry and Marvin's latest betrayal was a bitter pill to swallow.

"What's the matter, kid? Not hungry?" Marvin asked, unaware his treachery had been discovered.

I stared at him in the rear-view mirror without answering.

We really were back home.

AN:

I thought it would it would be interesting to have Kevin try to interact with other children, but failing. I hope you weren't too disappointed by his inability to connect with them. It might've been disappointing, but I feel in character. Children victim of abduction do have a lot of difficulty socializing. As they live in almost absolute isolation with their captors, they tend to experience a loss of confidence, which I wanted to express here.

Do not worry; there will be other opportunities for Kevin to play with kids his age in later chapters and they won't always be so bleak.

I wasn't sure how long Kevin would carry his stuffed elephant. I was afraid it might be too childish for him, until I came across an article that revealed that over 60% of adults over the age of 30 still slept with their childhood stuffed animal. If that's the case, I don't see why Kevin wouldn't, especially in his situation.

Marvin using his belt to lock the door's mechanism was inspired by "100 Deadly Skills" by Clint Emerson. It's a useful trick for travellers which can be replicated using a belt, the strap of a purse of bathrobe. If you plan on using it, make sure to practice untying the belt or strap several times before going to bed, just in case of a fire drill or evacuation. You don't want to trap yourself in case of emergency.

Harry and Kevin were not referring to the same incarnation of Dennis the Menace. While Harry and Marvin would've been familiar live action sitcom of the 1959-1963, Kevin was referring to the 1986 cartoon.

Finally, in case there are any football fans out there, neither Marvin nor Kevin was right regarding their favourite football teams. Although the Giants did beat the Bears in 1992, both teams ended in fourth place in their respective division. It was also widely said at the time that the Chicago Bears' coach was neglecting the defense, which lead to him being dismissed at the end of the season.

Well, that's all for now! Stay safe out there!